Freshly squeezed juices for some form the basis of the diet, for others they are on a par with sweet cola and soda. And in the summer, when we have no shortage of fresh fruits and vegetables, the question arises: make juice out of them or eat them like that? Are juices really healthier than whole fruits and vegetables? What potential threats can these drinks pose? Roskachestvo experts tell us about how to rationally and profitably include juices in your diet.
CONTENT
- What is the difference between freshly squeezed juice and whole fruits and vegetables?
- What is healthier – fruit or vegetable juices?
- How does juice absorption work in the body?
- How can juice be enriched?
- What are the potential dangers of a juice diet?
- Does the juice diet help to lose weight and remove toxins?
- Do juices damage tooth enamel?
- Can you drink juice on an empty stomach?
- Can juices be drunk neat or should they be diluted?
- To whom freshly squeezed juices are contraindicated?
- How can juices be effectively included in the diet?
- How long do vitamins stay in juice?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICE AND WHOLE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES?
There is an opinion that our body absorbs useful components from fruits and vegetables better when we get them from juices. But our digestive system is designed to easily process fiber, getting everything you need from it.
NAGIMA SEMCHUKOVA
CERTIFIED NUTRITIONIST, MEMBER OF ROSSNDP
– Freshly squeezed fruit juices, like whole fruits, contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. However, there is one very important difference: the pulp and skin of whole fruits are a source of dietary fiber (fiber) necessary for the health of our intestines. As a rule, freshly squeezed juices, especially if they are without pulp, lack this important component. In such juices, we get rid of the peel, seeds and core.
WHAT IS HEALTHIER – FRUIT OR VEGETABLE JUICES?
Both have a place in a balanced diet for a healthy person, since each vegetable or fruit contains certain nutrients, and if you don’t find a certain vitamin in a fruit, you can look for it in a vegetable. Diversity is the key to success. But again, the nutritionist clarifies, you should not replace whole fruits and vegetables with fruit and vegetable juices. Of the WHO-recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, at least half should be from whole fruits and vegetables.
HOW DOES JUICE ABSORPTION WORK IN THE BODY?
When we squeeze juice from a fresh fruit or vegetable, we remove the fiber from them and get a liquid with vitamins and a very high concentration of sugar in one glass. Yes, although it is natural, but sugar.
There is a common misconception that fruit sugar (fructose) is healthier than regular sugar. In fact, sucrose (or white sugar familiar to us) consists of glucose and the same fructose. It is important to understand that eating too much fructose is just as bad for the body as eating too much regular sugar, sometimes even more. This is due to the peculiarities of fructose metabolism.
It should be noted that carbohydrates, namely glucose molecules, are the primary and most preferred substrate for energy in our body. So that at one point we are not left without a source of energy, in order to always maintain a normal level of glucose in the blood, in our body there is a so-called carbohydrate depot – glycogen. If a person consumes more energy than he needs, and at the same time the carbohydrate depot of the body is full, all the excess energy received will be deposited in fat.
As for fructose, it is not used anywhere in the body in its natural form. Given that fructose can only be processed in the liver, that part of the fructose that is not converted to glucose for energy is immediately converted to fat. This leads to excessive accumulation of fat, including in the liver. For comparison: out of 120 kcal of glucose, only 1 kcal is stored as fat, and with the use of 120 kcal of fructose, 40 kcal.
Read about added sugars HERE .
HOW CAN JUICE BE ENRICHED?
When we drink vegetable or fruit juice, we don’t get the fiber that makes us feel full, lowers the risk of heart disease, and lowers our cholesterol levels. In addition, fresh juices lack healthy fats that are essential for transporting vitamins within our bodies (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are important for hormone production and bone and nervous system health). Even in smoothies, due to the heat of the blender blades, the useful mass of fiber is oxidized, so a number of useful substances are destroyed faster.
How can juices be rehabilitated by making them a full-fledged source of useful components? Nutritionist Nagima Semchukova explains:
– If there is a need for a quick but balanced meal, you can make a smoothie. To do this, in a blender, you can mix:
- As a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals – any combination of fruits / berries / vegetables / greens to your taste.
- As a source of fiber and slow carbohydrates – slow-cooked oatmeal / buckwheat / bean sprouts, etc.
- As a source of healthy fats – Greek yogurt / nuts / seeds / oils.
- As a source of protein – flax seeds / Greek yogurt / cottage cheese / peanut butter / protein powder / nuts, etc.
Important! Eating a smoothie does not replace the need for solid foods throughout the day. In other words, do not go to extremes and replace all meals with smoothies. Your teeth need to work too.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF A JUICE DIET?
If we talk about freshly squeezed juices in a balanced diet for a healthy person, they do not pose any danger, but only benefit.
However, if we go to extremes and talk about various juice diets or the so-called juice cleansing, then juices and such a cleansing itself carry a number of risks:
- Significant fluctuations in blood sugar levels are dangerous for people with diabetes and carbohydrate metabolism disorders.
- Limiting the intake of dietary fiber during cleansing on juices – negatively affects the intestines.
- Insufficient intake of essential fatty acids. Often, during a cleanse on juices, fat-containing foods, even those that are healthy, are completely removed from the diet. If a healthy person often makes such fluctuations in their fat intake, this can lead to health problems.
- Electrolyte imbalance – can cause dangerous conditions associated with high fluid intake and low intake of minerals necessary for the body to transmit nerve impulses.
- Eating disorder, inclusion in the cycle “diet – overeating”.
